Escondido, Valley Center test highlights differing rates by ethnicity

High School Exit Exam results released Friday for Escondido and
Valley Center schools show that Latino students continue to fail
the tests at an alarming rate, compared to white students of
non-Hispanic origin.

In many cases, the results show that Latino students taking
tests in math and English-language arts were twice as likely not to
pass the tests, compared with white students.

For students who have been studying English as a second language
and considered fluent, however, the success rate is dramatic, noted
officials at the Escondido Union High School and Valley
Center-Pauma Unified School districts.

"I think what's very exciting and hopeful," said Karen Rizzi,
Escondido's assistant superintendent for educational services, "is
that the (fluent English-learners) have significantly higher
passing rates. That's the hope, that students in our English
language program receive the support they need."

On Friday, the state Department of Education released its data
on exit exams taken in the 2002-03 school year, and included
information for each school campus.

The state figures show that, overall, Escondido Union High
School District passing rates in both math and English-language
arts tests were about the same as statewide rates, and slightly
below countywide scores.

Valley Center-Pauma Unified District success rates were above
both countywide and statewide scores.

The test results show that students in 10th grade passed the
test at significantly higher rates than 11th-graders, since the
juniors generally were repeat test takers who had failed
before.

Introduced in 2001, the exit exam was originally intended to be
a requirement for graduation in 2004. In July, the state Department
of Education pushed back the date until 2006, so that students
entering 10th grade this year will be the first class required to
pass the test to graduate.

Escondido High School serves as an example of local test results
according to ethnic and fluency breakdowns. At that campus, 64
percent of students taking the English-language arts test passed
it. Among Latino test takers, 46 percent passed, while 88 percent
of white non-Hispanics passed. Fully 94 percent of fluent English
learners passed the test.

The pattern was similar at Valley Center High School. There, 73
percent of test takers passed the English-language test. Among
Latino test-takers, the rate was 47 percent, while it was 90
percent for white non-Hispanics. Fluent English-learners had a
passing rate of 96 percent.

Like Rizzi in Escondido, Ken Clark, the director of curriculum
for the Valley Center district said he was heartened by the high
passing rates for fluent English learners.

Students taking a test in a language they're still trying to
learn are bound to have problems, he said.

"Certainly there are strategies for helping those kids," he
said.

The Valley Center district has formed a panel of teachers to
take a comprehensive look at the district's curriculum and how it
meshes with state standards. Improving math scores, Clark said,
will be a focus.

Rizzi said that, unlike the information distributed to the
public on Friday, districts have received a breakdown of what
specific math and English-language skills students failed on the
tests. The information is broken down by schools and individual
students and will be used to help teachers revamp curriculum, she
said.